The signification of Color in Balinese Art and Culture I Wayan Karja wayankarja@isi-dps.ac.id ABSTRACT Color is very essential in life; it is hard to imagine this world without color. All colors appear between black and white because they exist due to the effects of light. Color is a reflection of human nature with characteristics all have their respective meanings. This article focuses on the significant meaning of how to use color in Balinese art and culture. The color of the Balinese mandala in the form of a color wheel plays a magical religious symbolic meaning based on Hindu philosophy. Each direction is represented by a color, meaning, God, place in the body, day, and number. The meaning of color in Balinese art, philosophy, religion, customs, traditions, and culture is a series of processes of exploring the inner and outer balance of life, macro, and microcosmos. The method used is in observation and interviews, the results of which are used for offerings to the five elements of nature which are reflected in the purification ceremony with various levels of sacrificial offerings to the spirits of nature. This process can be seen in the purification ceremony of new buildings called melaspas. Melaspas is a process of cleansing, purification and awakening the spirit to live. The color of flowers is part of a very significant symbolic sacredness used in various forms of religious rituals. Color as decoration has a symbolic aesthetic value installed in sacred places. Shadow puppet is a reflection of a life that is not only seen from its form and attributes, but the role of color is very decisive in seeing the character itself. The tridatu color as a bracelet is a symbol of protection. Sacred songs explain the existence of that color with all forms and manifestations of God's light . Lawar is food for offerings, each color represents certain elements to maintain the balance of the universe. Keywords: color, art, and culture. I. Introduction Color is light, something very simple, daily needs, and none of us can live without light. Color is a direct function of light and represents all aspects of life. The circle of primary color (red, yellow, and blue), secondary color (orange, green, and violet), and their mixing to give rise to tertiary colors is a broad understanding of conventional colors. Color is also associated with warm- cold temperatures. Warm colors (yellow, orange, and red) and cool colors (green, blue, and violet). In general, color is widely used as a sign, symbol, icon, and visual communication media. In Bali, the meaning of color is very significant because it represents shapes and symbols in everyday life which are based on the philosophy of Hinduism. Color is associated with philosophy, mythology, offerings, and aesthetics in art, customs, and cultural practices. Bali is an art island that has a variety of arts and cultures, such as literary arts (lontar), theater/performance arts (dance, gamelan, puppetry), fine arts (painting, sculpture, craft, wood/stone carving, metal, leather, weaving, and recording media arts (photography, film, and television). The Balinese mandala is a local color circle associated with the balance and harmony of the Universe. Each direction has color, god, place in the body, day, animal, and weapon. On other hand, color in Balinese art and culture also given the many types of names from nature, as the limited number of words to name colors, local terms also appear for color names, for example, young banana leaf color, red brick, water apple, red pomegranate, blue sky, yellow waru flower, light brown sapodilla, ripe papaya, and others.